Hockey

Lead-up games such as minkey, develop the basic skills for hockey. Safety rules and procedures are important because of the type of equipment used.

As part of the process of safety self-regulation, all persons engaging in this activity should identify the hazards, assess their significance and manage the potential risks including any additional hazards not mentioned here

Hazards that may be encountered in hockey include:

• equipment (hockey sticks, balls, goal nets)
• field surface

The categorisation of these conditions is subjective and offered as a starting point for risk management planning. The actual degree of risk is best ascertained by persons with intimate local knowledge present at the site of the activity.

Participation in hockey involves medium risk (level 2).

One adult present should have knowledge of, and an ability to perform, first aid procedures.

If an adult other than a registered teacher is engaged for instruction, a registered teacher should be present to take overall responsibility.

The qualifications listed in this section are minimums for each type of situation. Leaders are encouraged to seek training to raise their qualification level above the minimum listed.

The leader should be:

• a registered teacher with experience (previous involvement) in the teaching of hockey
• an adult who has NCAS Level 1 coaching qualifications from Hockey Australia, if a teacher with the relevant experience is not available

A first aid kit should be available at all venues where lessons and competitions are conducted.

Initial introduction of the activity should include:

• appropriate warm-up and warm-down activities
• rules, safety procedures and prerequisite skills before students play the game
• progressive and sequential skill development
• modified games that match skill and fitness levels of students.

Activities should be sited away from buildings, pedestrians and other activities.

The playing area should be level and free from obstacles and loose objects.

It is recommended that a minimum space of five metres surround each field.

Equipment, including goal nets, should be checked for damage before play and removed from use where necessary. Each stick should be checked for rough edges and splintering.

Corner posts should be made of non-injurious material.

Goals should be stable and firmly fixed.
Safety equipment should be worn in all games and practice sessions.

Shin guards should be worn by all students.
Correctly fitted mouthguards should be worn for playing and practising.

Goalkeepers should wear the protective equipment described in the rule book (e.g. leg pads, foot pads, chest protector, protector (male), helmet with face mask, throat protector and gloves).

Rules regarding physical contact should be enforced to prevent rough play.

Goalkeepers should defend their goal against only one ball at a time during skills practice.
Special care should be taken in hitting the ball if the playing surface is wet, to prevent dangerous undercutting.

All balls should be retrieved simultaneously when using several balls for teaching and practice sessions.

Students with open cuts and abrasions should be removed from the field of play and treated immediately. If bleeding cannot be controlled completely, the player should not be allowed to return to the field of play. All clothing, equipment and surfaces contaminated by blood should be treated as potentially infectious.

• Queensland School Sport
• HLS-PR-013: Developing a Sun Safety Strategy
• SCM-PR-002: School Excursions
• HLS-PR-005: Injury, Illness and Dangerous Event Recording and Reporting
• HLS-PR-003: First Aid for Schools and Non-school Locations